The present invention relates to disposable sharps containers and pertains particularly to an improved rotary top and needle remover slot for disposable sharps containers.
Disposable containers have been developed in recent years which provide a reasonably high degree of security for disposable articles, such as needles and surgical blades known as sharps, and other similar articles and materials, to keep them out of the hands of unauthorized persons and to keep them from being reused. These containers are designed with restricted access openings and closures to prevent the removal of materials from the container under ordinary circumstances.
One such container of the aforementioned type is that of our prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,606, issued Mar. 5, 1985, and directed to a locking closure for disposable containers. These containers are also provided with needle removal tools in the form of one or more slots which act as a wrench for removal of the needles from syringes and the like. These needle removal tools are not only convenient, but also provide a safe means for removal of the needle. The safe removal of the needle is essential to protect hospital personnel from certain highly contagious diseases.
Many prior disposable containers have had needle removal tools built into the top thereof adjacent the disposal opening. This is a convenient and desirable arrangement. However, these are in need of improvement.
In my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,821 entitled "SWIVEL TOP CLOSURE FOR PHLEBOTOMY CONTAINER", I disclose a rotary container top with a slot for quick removal of a syringe needle. The needle engaging slot in that patent is positioned offset from the rotary axis of the top so that when the needle is engaged by the slot and the top rotated, the needle is unscrewed from the syringe body. The syringe body is then moved in the reverse direction to disengage the needle from the wrench portion of the slot, and engages a hooking portion to disengage the needle from the syringe barrel. However, the container top sometimes rotates in the opposite direction and frustrates attempts to dislodge the needle from the slot and/or the barrel.
Improvements have been made in needle removal slots, such as covered in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,984,686, issued in Jan. 15, 1991, for more securely fitting variations in needle hub sizes. These new slots are tapered so that the needle hub is wedged therein and gripped more tightly than in most prior art slots. Thus, the top is even more likely to rotate in the opposite direction and make the needle more difficult to dislodge without holding the container top.
It is, therefore, desirable that a disposable container with improved rotatable closure and needle removal slots be available.